Not in the “beauty contests,” says Mattaponi Kennel Club show chair Katie Knepley, as she briskly walks around the grassy competition rings, partitioned off by white fences. In those “conformation” events, judges evaluate how precisely a dog conforms to its breed’s standards, which mutts do not have.

But the skill-based contests — Agility, Rally and Obedience — were officially opened to mixed breeds last month. This weekend, Mattaponi held its first event in which mixed breeds, euphemistically referred to at the show as “All Americans,” have been allowed. Otis is one of two competing today, in an event that includes around 40 entries.

Makes sense to me, although I would think there are plenty of skills contests out there that have never required dogs to be purebreds. The AKC is obviously trying to broaden its appeal (and likely generate more revenue in the process), but I never really had a problem with the exclusion of mutts. How Bandit would do in a beauty competition has no relation to his value to me.

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Ok my thinking on this is that the reason its only purebreds is because its easiser to classify them into groups. Ex. Beagles, bloodhounds, and bluetick hounds all in the “hound” group, so on and so forth. So would they just put every single mutt in the “mutt” group? And with mutts you can breed out traits you dont like about a certain breed, so maybe you could someday breed some super mix that is good at all the events, i dont know

And whats up with the group name? is “All Americans” the new liberal, PC, sugarcoated way of saying mutt now?

The reason it has only been purebreds is because PB = $$$. The AKC has a ton of money and continually goes against mandatory spay/neuter laws and laws that allow owners to only own a certain number of dogs. Breeding = $$$; hence, showing dogs = $$$. Not saying that they are all “bad” – there are a number of individual breeders who are responsible and are involved in breed rescue…but the AKC leaves a bad taste in my mouth.